National Republican., 1887-04-04

BROOKLYN, N. Y, Apr. 3.-The Rev. T.
DE Witt Talmage, d. D., has returned from
the west, after an absence Of nearly three
weeks, In which he preached and lectured
in fifteen cities to immense throngs. A
vast congregation was present at the taber-
nacle this morning, and Joined with fine
effect in singing the hymn which begins:
Jesus shall reign where er the sun
Does his successive Journeys run.
DIR. Talmage's subject was "a Live
Church." and his text Revelation, chapter
Ii, verses $ and 8: "Unto the angel of the
church In Smyrna write: These things
saith the first and the last, which was dead
and is alive; i know thy works and tribula-
tion and poverty, but thou art rich"
smyrna was a great city OF the ancients,
bounded on three sides by mountains 1t
was the central. emporium OF the Levan-
tine trade. In that prosperous and brilliant
city there was Christian church estab-
lished. After 1t had existed for awhile, 1t
was rocked down by an earthquake. 1t
was rebuilt. Then 1t was consumed by
coniiagration that swept over the entire
city. That church went through fire and
trouble, and disaster, but Kept on to great
spiritual prosperity. The fact was, that
church had the grace Of God, an ever active
liuu IL Dttu OJutTWlbt, MI but
grandeur or architecture and all the DO mp
of surroundings would only have been the
ornament Of death-the garlands OF a
coffin, the plumes Of hearse.
IL may be profitable to consider what are
the elements Of live church.
/ remark, in the first place, that one
characteristic of such a church is punctu-
ality in meeting its engagements. All
ecclesiastical institutions have financial re-
latInna and tbav ought IN ma fhair nbli
cations just as certainly as men meet their
obligations at the bank. When a church
OF God is not as faithful In its promises as
the Bank of England 1t ceases to be a
church OF God. 1t ought TO be understood
That prayers cannot paint church, and
prayers cannot pay the winters coal bill,
and prayers cannot meet the insurance,
ana that, while prayers can do a thou
sand things, there are a thousand things
that prayers cannot do. Prayer for any
particular church will never reach heaven
high unless It goes down pocket deep. In
my church at the west there was a man OF
comfortable means, who used to pray foi
his pastor in such elongated style that he
became a nuisance TO the prayer meeting
without ceasing, that the pastor might b,
blessed In his basket and Ia his store, Will,
the fact was he never paid anything. IL W,
pray for the advancement of the church anC
do not out OF our means contribute for III
advancement, our prayer is only mockery
Let the church OF God then meet Its obliga
tions on the outside, and let the member
OF the congregation meet the obligation
on the inside, and the church will he flnan'
cially prosperous.
Let me say, also, that there must b,
punctuality In the attendance on the hOus,
OF the Lord. II the service begins at 1913
In the morning the regular congregation
OF a live church will not come at l0;45.
the service is to begin at 1880 In the even
ing the regular congregation OF liv
church will not come at 7:45. In som
churches j have noticed the people are al
ways tardy. There are some people VIII
are always late They were born too late
and the probability Is they will die too late
The rustling Of dresses up the aisle, AM
the slamming Of doors, and the treading q
heavy feet, is poor inspiration for minis
ter. II requires great abstraction In pai
tors mind TO proceed with the preliminar
exercises OF the church when one half Q
the audience seated are looking around I
see the other half come in. Such differ
ence OF attendance upon the house OF Go
may be difference OF time.pieces, but th
live church Of which am speaking ougi